AN Ainsdale woman has warned dog walkers to be on their guard after her two Tibetan terriers were viciously attacked by another dog.

The woman, who wishes to be known only as Pat, was walking Sasha and Kola at the Knowle Avenue entrance of Ainsdale sand dunes when they were attacked by what she believes was a “dark brown greyhound”.

The dogs were seriously wounded in the attack and, in their fright, went missing in the dunes for an hour.

Pat informed the police and the local dog wardens. When the dogs were eventually found, both needed urgent veterinary treatment.

Pat told the Visiter: “The attack was extremely vicious and for an hour I searched the dunes as both dogs managed to escape, eventually limping off in the direction of Birkdale.

“Eventually, I found out that both dogs had managed to drag themselves home, bleeding with holes in their sides. They needed injections, stitches, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers.”

Pat, who had taken one of her dogs, Sasha, to the vet earlier that morning after she pulled a ligament, believes the attack set her recovery back weeks.

In addition, she was left with a £130 bill for vet’s treatment.

Pat added: “It was very frightening. I was surprised that the owner did not even come back to ask if the dogs and myself were all right.

“If it had gone on, and he hadn’t thrown himself onto the dog, it could have been awful.

“I see the regular people there all the time, but nobody had seen this dog before. The owner couldn’t control it at all.

“This is a warning for all of the people I meet regularly who, like myself, have been walking our dogs in the same place for over 10 years.

“It could be that this was a visiting dog and owner for the bank holiday weekend, but it should never have been off the lead.

“The dogs could have died, and if it had been a child, goodness only knows.”

A spokesman for Merseyside Police confirmed that they had been notified of the incident.